Current mood:	exhausted
Current music:	Random corporate jazz at STL Bread Co.

St. Louis
I am in St. Louis again. In what has become an annual vacation for me, I end up coming to STL on graduate student leadership conferences, party, eat, drink, schmooze and also get some work done. I could see myself doing this for a goodish while, only if they included sleep in the conference program.

I arrived Friday afternoon after an hour's "equipment malfunction" delay. The hotel they put us up in is the Westin at Cupples Station, a early 20th century train station depot / warehouse converted to a really nice, almost boutique hotel. I had a cool roommate from UMich and an awesome bathroom. The bathroom was actually half of the hotel room itself, with an awesome sunken tub and a shower separate from it. Westin is trying really hard to outdo W for the swankiest hotel title, it is funny that they are owned by the same group.

This group of grad. students was actually of a somewhat weird composition, many science and engineering types (which is unusual, the expected departments are English and Poli Sci) and many married with children. You would think that they would just turn in for the night at about 9 PM, especially given that the morning's first session which I was chairing was at 8:30 AM with shuttles leaving at 7:30. But, contrary to expectations, there was quite a bit of bar hopping one night, one group making their way to the Landing and not coming back until 3 AM.

Now I am almost falling asleep writing this on the slowest wireless connection this side of the Mississippi. I would recommend the coffee at St. Louis Bread Co (6th and Pine in Downtown STL) but not their wireless connection. They also have killer brownies.

For some reason, this picture made me laugh:

http://graphics7.nytimes.com/images/2003/10/12/business/12GILL583.jpg